Apocalyptic
angst drives many religionists to speculate about earth’s perilous
last days and her inhabitants’ final judgment. Monotheistic faiths
temper news of pending calamity with promise of paradise (janah
for Muslims), a heavenly abode (gan’eden for Jews), or
a new heaven and new earth (the New Jerusalem for Christians).

In
assessing the worth of any belief, especially “happily ever after”
scenarios as these, one principle prevails: Let God be true and every
opposing man (or spirit) a liar.[1]
Of course, this begs the questions: Just what is truth, and who’s
to say something is (or isn’t) true? Aren’t all religions
and end-time beliefs equally valid? All’s well that ends well,
right?

No,
not necessarily. Were it not for the gravity of very real consequences
it might be okay to “live and let live.” However, if last
days are marked by economic and political upheavals, a series of armed
conflicts, breakdown of the earth’s ecosystem, unprecedented corruption,
deception, persecution, and divine judgment, then to alert and rightly
instruct the unwary is more than appropriate; it’s a moral mandate.

Clearly,
the God of the Bible invites us to come that we might reason together
with Him.[2]
In doing so, an honest person examines reality, employs logic, draws
from the knowledge base he’s acquired, judges the fruit of his
life, and attends to the all-important test of time.

For
their willing, diligent Bible study to verify truth, Bereans were dubbed
nobler than counterparts who apparently failed to do likewise.[3]
Anointed revelation and Berean due diligence guide the faithful to knowledge
of truth. Certainly not everyone will be convinced; but an honest, levelheaded
discussion is warranted.

Reality

Reality
is not a matter of personal opinion, nor does it adjust to accommodate
falsity. Insist that “thumbs down” points south and “thumbs
up” points north, but this can’t alter the fact that, when
freely suspended, a magnet always points toward the north- and south-
poles. Faith governed by superstition, feelings, mindless traditions,
fear, force, will power, or blind commitment is fundamentally irrational
and destined to succumb to reality.[4]

Certainly,
New Age guru Eckhart Tolle may insist that knowledge is illusory, but
then the science of gravity is no figment of the imagination. Try leaping
out of a plane without a parachute. Sooner, if not later, reality wins
out; that’s knowledge you can count on.[5]
In contrast, believe as you may, crossing your fingers or rubbing a
rabbit foot will not guarantee winning a jackpot lottery.

If
knowledge were illusion, as Tolle contends, then why distinguish between
being “conscious” and “unconscious”? Doing so
presupposes discernment based on knowledge. Even more, Tolle believes
that the “we-they” construct—i.e., saved, unsaved—blemishes
Christianity, but evades New-Earth consciousness. In nurturing what
he calls the “I’m right; you’re wrong fallacy,”
Christians allegedly exercise an “illusory sense of superiority.”
Never mind that, by declaring himself “awakened,” Tolle
distinguishes his own enlightened knowledge from the “unconscious
collective human ego.” Sounds to me like “I’m right;
you’re wrong.”

When
open to a-biblical points of view, the double-minded person alleging
Christ-consciousness may indeed “win friends and influence people,”
but he has a reality problem nonetheless.[6]
(Can you say narcissistic personality disorder?)

After
all, cosmic humanists who awaken to their own Christhood are self-proclaimed
gods; but then erroneous knowledge at the worldview level is, at best,
destabilizing.[7]
Demi-gods don’t always see eye-to-eye. Remember Greek mythology:
Cronus overthrew his father and, in turn, was overthrown by his own
sons, Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon. And so it goes.

Logic

Plainly,
it’s irrational to presume that all religious traditions are one-and-the-same
when, in fact, they teach and practice radically different things. An
apt, logic-defying analogy is taking the freeway exit to the north in
search of a southbound destiny. It’s not a good idea.

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By
way of further example, Bible principles guided by simple logic preclude
a would-be martyr’s strapping on a bomb to ensure sensual pleasures
in the afterlife. Once again, it’s not a good idea.

Knowledge

Consider
this: There is no reason in the nature of things why the God of the
Bible could not or should not exist. Why? Because there is nothing about
the realm of nature that renders this God improbable or implausible.[8]
On the other hand, Eastern mysticism thrives on implausibility.

Eckhart
Tolle may well believe that sin, evil, and the devil are illusory. But,
then, a proclaimed truism isn’t necessarily so simply because
someone wants it to be true—or because its acceptance is somehow
fashionable or profitable.

That
said, good and evil can be known.[9]
However, such knowledge increases sorrow.[10]
Case in point: Although many exploit human vulnerability for self-gain,
all people of honor recognize the evil of human trafficking. Today,
an estimated 158 million children are forced into slave labor. For good
reason, the Bible instructs us to add knowledge to virtue.[11]
Rightly so, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice characterizes
defeat of human trafficking as “a great moral calling of our time.”

By
His very nature, the God of the Bible is a God of knowledge, which He
imparts freely.[12]
Not just “cunningly devised fables,” but experiential knowledge
testifies to this truth.[13]
Remarkably, there are 800 Old Testament and 4,800 New Testament manuscripts
indisputably substantiating the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Though faith transcends the here-and-now, it’s well supported
by knowledge. Rightly viewed, faith is “substance” and “evidence.”[14]

Unfortunately,
worldly knowledge breeds arrogance;[15]
nevertheless, knowing truth not only is attainable, but also it’s
liberating.[16]
Just what constitutes Christian knowledge? A Christian knows that his
Redeemer lives.[17] He’s assured that Christ
is his Savior always working for good.[18] Even
beyond this life, a Christian remains God’s enduring workmanship.[19]
The LORD will safeguard His own until united “face to face.”[20]
Because of the measurable God-given love a Christian has for his fellows,
he has evidence for having passed from death to life.[21]

Fruit

One’s
worldview determines the orientation of everything else he thinks and
does. When lived out, a worldview bears fruit that is bitter or sweet,
abundant or scarce. Even Eastern mystics revere Jesus and acknowledge
the enduring fruit of His life and ministry. In contrast, when examined
in the light of world history and contemporary geo-politics, roots of
ancient wisdom, as expounded by Eckhart Tolle, yield something altogether
different. Visit India or Tibet to see for yourself.

Test
of Time

No
faith can be a man’s real religion if he knows that it is true
only for certain places and certain people. Moreover, belief as mere
personal opinion is unstable.[22] Whimsy will
not stand the test of time, nor will man-fashioned, albeit longstanding
world religions stand the test of eternity.

For
example, having originated with man, Buddha’s religion was encased
in legend and devoid of the supernatural. In contrast, the Spirit of
the Lord was upon Jesus to heal, deliver, and restore.[23]
Unlike arcane claims of mystics, His miracles, as substantiated by ancient
records, were observable, measurable, and repeatable.

Some
honor Buddha as one of the greatest rationalists of all time, but arguably
no man spoke as Jesus did. His Word was with power, as evidenced in
contemplations of “One Solitary Life”:[24]

Jesus
was born in an obscure village, the son of a peasant woman. He grew
up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter's shop until he
was thirty. Then for three years he became a wandering preacher. He
never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or
owned a house. He didn't go to college. He never visited a big city.
He never travelled two hundred miles from the place where he was born.
He did none of those things one usually associates with greatness. He
had no credentials but Himself.

He
was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against
Him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went
through a mockery of a trial. He was executed by the state. While he
was dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property
he had on earth. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave through
the pity of a friend.

Twenty
centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of
the human race and the leader of mankind's progress. All the armies
that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments
that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not
affected the life of man on this earth as much as that One Solitary
Life.

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So
Then … Who’s Right?

Though
crisis looms, the Gospel shouts “good news.” For Christian
believers, “the more sure word of prophecy” nullifies apocalyptic
angst.[25] Gloom and doom may well distinguish
other faiths, but the Bible’s signature message is hope. So, then,
which rings true—the theistic story, or the nirvana story? You
decide.

Daughter of an
Army Colonel, Debra graduated with distinction from the University of
Iowa. She then completed a Master of Education degree from the University
of Washington. These were followed by Bachelor of Theology and Master
of Ministries degrees-both from Pacific School of Theology.

While a teacher
in Kuwait, Debra undertook a three-month journey from the Persian Gulf
to London by means of VW "bug"! One summer, she tutored the daughter of
Kuwait's Head of Parliament while serving as superintendent of Kuwait's
first Vacation Bible School.

Having authored
the ABCs of Globalism and ABCs
of Cultural -Isms, Debra speaks to Christian and secular groups alike.
Her radio spots air globally. Presently, Debra co-hosts WOMANTalk
radio with Sharon Hughes and Friends, and she contributes monthly commentaries
to Changing Worldviews and NewsWithViews.com. Debra calls the Pacific
Northwest home.

Clearly, the God
of the Bible invites us to come that we might reason together with Him.
In doing so, an honest person examines reality, employs logic, draws from
the knowledge base he’s acquired, judges the fruit of his life,
and attends to the all-important test of time.